If You Go: Located in the City of Mesa, AZ Cemetery at 1212 North Center Street. Plot 766 – in the 4th row east of 9th Street, south of “B” Street, behind the 6th tree.

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With the Hall of Fame-caliber legacy Waylon Jennings left behind, with all the noise still made about him by traditional and Outlaw performers and their fans, and even by modern-day mainstream performers looking to lend a bit of country cred to their otherwise flimsy country music resumes, you would think the final resting place of Waylon would be a bigger deal, and not necessarily a hard-earned objective for a grave hunting excursion.

But unless you possess a strong inclination, a set of reliable instructions, decent orientation skills, and easy access to the greater Phoenix area, finding yourself at the foot of the final resting place of Waylon Jennings to pay respects and reflect on the legacy of a titan of country music just may remain unresolved on your country music bucket list.

Most of the grave sites of country music greats are more than just final resting places, they’re memorials to the men and women who helped forge the legacy of the music of rural people. The grave of Hank Williams in Alabama might be the most hallowed in country music (and one of the easiest to find). Johnny Cash and June Carter’s grave in Hendersonville, TN, just outside of Nashville is another notable and often-visited destination for any serious country music fan. And the George Jones Monument in the Berry Hill portion of Nashville is certainly something fans of The Possum and country music in general can’t miss.

When it comes to Waylon though, a little more effort must be exerted. I had found myself in Phoenix on a number of occasions previously, and whether I was running late on a road trip, stuck at the Phoenix airport on a long layover, but no logistical way to make it out to the location, visiting the Waylon grave site had always remained elusive.

Though Waylon’s history is mostly attributed to Texas and Tennessee, it was in Arizona where he first got his big start as a solo artist. He moved to the Southwest because his first wife Maxine had family there. A new club built in Scottsdale called JD’s was looking for a talented performer to pattern the club around, and Waylon became the guy. It was at JD’s where Jennings forged his sound and style that he’d later become known for, and a sound that would revolutionize country music. After Waylon moved to Nashville and hit the big time, he still kept a primary residence in Chandler, AZ—another suburb of Phoenix. Arizona is also where Waylon retired to get clean from drugs, and where he died on February, 13th, 2002.

Because Waylon passed away right as hostilities were leading up to the Iraq War, and continued hostilities in Afghanistan stemming from the 9/11 attacks were dominating the news cycle, there wasn’t a lot of press coverage, or the national recognition that you would expect from the passing of someone of Waylon’s stature. Even today, some music fans are not sure if Waylon is still alive or not because they don’t remember the news of his passing. And since Waylon passed at the age of 64, he never had the chance to benefit from a legacy era like Johnny Cash, George Jones, and others did, and performers like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard enjoy today. Waylon was never recognized by the Kennedy City Honors. Waylon skipped his Country Music Hall of Fame induction. And despite being a popular name to drop in country songs, Waylon’s legacy still seems under-represented.

When Waylon was buried at the Mesa Cemetery in Mesa, AZ, the grave remained unmarked for the first year. Fans from around the country and world would come to the City of Mesa Cemetery just east of Phoenix on a country music pilgrimage to pay their respects, but some never found Waylon’s final resting place. The Mesa Cemetery is massive—the size of many city blocks—and is made up of 1st through 12th streets, intersected by cross streets A through D. It could take someone days to find the grave if they didn’t know where to look, and some left never finding it.

Then on February 15th, 2003—three days after the 1 year anniversary of Waylon’s passing—a headstone was finally placed on the grave. It includes a visual depiction of Waylon, his famous “Flying “W” emblem, and two inscriptions: “A vagabond dreamer, a rhymer and a singer of songs, a revolutionary in country music, beloved by the world,” and “I am my beloved’s. My beloved is mine. A loving son, husband, father and grandfather.”

Even with the marker, the gravestone lays flat to the ground, and there’s no signs to point you to where it is, no mention at the cemetery entrance that it’s the final resting place of the famous Waylon Jennings. And if you don’t know exactly where to look, you could walk right past and miss it.

Luckily I had the instructions in hand: Plot 766 – in the 4th row east of 9th Street, south of “B” Street, behind the 6th tree. Even then I walked past it once and had to check the directions again and orientate myself to make sure I was looking in the right place. Then I found it—a black polished granite stone, and the final resting place of Waylon Jennings.

I always like to note the mementos people leave near the graves of country greats. Left for Waylon was a set of red rosary beads, an automobile cigarette lighter, and someone’s Alcoholics Anonymous 3 months sober token—a reminder of the role drugs played in Waylon’s life, his early passing, and the inspiration he’s given to many to get clean.

Humble as the gravesite may be compared to his contemporaries, the weight of standing in the presence of Waylon is no less cumbersome and moving. All of the music, all of the moments and memories Waylon has forged for millions of people, and will continue to forge for future generations, hangs in the air around that place, and it should be considered no less than sacred country music ground, regardless of its remote location from the rest of country music’s venerated places.

In some ways it’s fitting not a lot of fuss is made of Waylon’s final resting place. He regularly skipped award shows, and showed little interest in his trophy-adorned accolades. That’s not what Waylon was about. Making a big fanfare of his legacy seemed superfluous to him. It was a waste; an embarrassment. Maybe its better that he was buried off the beaten path of country music, way off in a suburb of Phoenix, and folks must make an effort if they want to come and see him. Waylon wasn’t much for being bothered, or doted upon.

42 Comments

Nate
August 27, 2015 @
8:21 am

Great stuff, Trigger. I’ve often wondered if the fact that Waylon died at 64 is the reason he just doesn’t seem as revered in the history of music in general. I don’t seem to remember him getting any major tribute after his death a-la Johnny Cash or Buck Owens. He’s personally my favorite artist of all-time so I naturally am inclined to know a little more about him than other fans of country music. It appears to me that other than country music scholars and blogs such as Saving Country Music, Waylon just hasn’t been as appreciated. Maybe that’s the way he would have liked it.

Johnny Cash was loved by the media because he had fashionable opinions about a lot of social issues. Also, at the end of his career, he endeared himself to freaks, weirdos, dissidents, outcasts, grunge-types, etc. by recording their music.

I don’t recall any outpouring being greater for Buck Owens than Waylon.

Buck Owens got about a ten minute tribute at one of the major award shows. It was an all-star cast from across the music industry including Travis Barker, Brad Paisley, Dwight Yoakam, and Tom Brumley. He deserved it, of course. In the 1970s, Waylon appealed to cowboys, hippies, and outlaws. He didn’t have the cultural impact Cash did, but he did have quite a wide impact on both music and culture.

Cash appealed to people outside country music because he had genuine empathy for his fellow man. He didn’t view people as “freaks, weirdos, dissidents and outcasts,” but instead saw them as human beings. Cash didn’t have a hateful or bigoted bone in his body, which is why he is still revered as a person. We need more people who share Cash’s point of view in regard to the world around them..

I agree that Waylon didn’t get as much attention as far as television tributes, but there were several tribute albums that were released pretty quickly after his passing.

The CMAs paid tribute to Waylon by featuring a performance from Travis Tritt. Travis performed “You Can’t Count Me Out Yet,” a cut from his 2002 record “Strong Enough.” While I can’t remember if the song was inspired by Waylon, the video screen did show photos of Waylon.

Excellent article Trigger. This is one of the most interesting things I’ve read here in a while. I’ve got about 2 chapters left if Waylon’s autobiography, so at this time it is especially interesting. Huge Waylon fan so hope I get the chance to make the trip one day.

Must of not had cmt during 2004-2005 when they had a series of the 12 or 13 greatest country outlaws and the cmt outlaw concerts with Hank jr, Gretchen Wilson, Jessi colter, Montgonery Gentry, James Hatfield, Shooter Jennings, Big and Rich, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe, Toby Keith, Lynrd Skynrd, Tanya Tucker and kid rock.

I HIGHLY recommend his autobiography, I’ve read it twice. Not only is it fascinating and gripping, but fans of the Dukes of Hazzard will read the book in his voice, as if he’s talking to you. Read it like that, and at his speaking voice’s pace, and you won’t be able to put it down.

That was an interesting article. I have his autobiography and I read some of it again not to long alomg, I really liked it and how likeable he was coming off as from his writing. I don’t know if it was just me, but I had my heart tugged at the part about Waylon crying all night cause he was forced to send his kids back to Maxine.

Waylon really faded in the market in the ’90s.
It’s not clear why, because the albums that he made in that decade “Waymore’s Blues, Part II,”, “Closing In On the Fire,” etc., were all good, and Waylon was writing a lot of great songs. But the albums didn’t sell and didn’t receive anything like the media buzz that Johnny Cash got for his albums done with Rick Rubin
Waylon seemed quite bitter about that. He wouldn’t even attend his own H-o-F induction–He gave some reason/excuse that made absolutely no sense.
Waylon also had some sort of falling-out with Willie, toward the end.
I recall that when Waylon died, Willie gave him about the minimal possible tribute, under the circumstances.The quotes from Willie in the various newspaper obituaries seemed perfunctory and lacked any passion. And Willie skipped a public memorial service.
I think Waylon was in a lot of physical pain in his last years and that probably greatly affected his attitude.
I saw the Highwaymen performi in Central Park when they were all still healthy. It must have been when “The Road Goes On Forever” album came out. Waylon did the most to make the show great. The others sang their songs, but Waylon also addressed and acknowledged the crowd and brought a good deal of humor to the

OK, well you tell me–Do you honestly think that Willie has honored Waylon since Waylon’s death in a manner that befits their joint history?
I just heard Willie’s latest album, “Django and Jimmie,” with Merle Haggard, and its very warm tribute song “Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash” (which, admittedly, was written by Merle). Is there anything similar regarding Waylon?

And do you think Waylon’s skipping his own H-o-F induction was not evidence of bitterness on his part?

I think his not attending his HOF ceremony is in keeping with how he had always disliked that sort of thing. For Waylon, from what I have observed and read, it was always about the music, not the accolades. I wont pretend to know what his relationship with Willie was like, i just have not heard of any “falling out” from anyone or anywhere, except you.

Karl, I saw Johnny Cash in an interview on TV shortly after Waylon passed away. He said Waylon and Willie had some sort of “falling out” and weren’t speaking. Johnny visited Waylon and called Willie, telling him that he ought to go see Waylon or at least give him a call. Willie said, “He don’t want to talk to me”. Johnny further encouraged Willie but he never did call. In the days immediately following Waylon’s death, the only thing I saw Willie say was, “He was a friend, he’ll be missed”. Several years later I saw Willie say that he wished he had called Waylon!!
I assure you, I saw this with my own eyes!! No hear say nor repeat of someone else’s opinion!!

An even bigger falling out that Waylon had was with Tompall Glaser after they had been close friends and business associates for years. And Tompall has received even less recognition than Waylon — in life and death — even though he was instrumental in helping Waylon’s career.

Enjoyed this article. Im in my late 20s and grew up on the grunge alternative rock of the 90s and always constantly repelled against my dad and grandpas country music. Btw its hard to do that in rural Kentucky, but there was one artist i never could put away….Waylon Jennings. No matter what stage in my life, i never stopped enjoying his records. I dont know if it was his rebelious spirit, that sort of rockstar image he had, that rollicking bass thump his songs had, im not sure. All i know is his music has stood the tests of time, and if no one has ever sat by an old turntable and not played his Dreaming My Dreams album all the way through, youve done yourself a disservice. That one record tells you all you need to know about Waylon Jennings.

It has always appeared to me that there was some sort of distance between the two, and I read the tea leaves the same way as you do. It’s only speculation, and I am no insider, but something was off between those two at the end.

I’ve got a good amount of family out in Arizona in the Mesa, Tempe, Chandler & Gilbert areas. Next time I go out there (hopefully next year some time), I’m definitely going to use this page as my guide. Thanks, Trig

still miss ole Waylon he was one of the best!! The hourlong tribute to Waylon from the opry the weekend after Waylon died was the best tribute I seen ever it was at the ryman hosted by porter wagoner with Hank jr travis tritt and marty stuart…. Hank sang a tribute song he wrote called eyes of Waylon they all performed various Waylon songs and closed out the show with Hanks outlaws reward it was a very emotional night… To this day Hank travis and marty all pay tribute to Waylon in there live shows and all 3 can duplicate waylons guitar playing its about as close to the real thing as you can get

Thanks for this. Perhaps one day I’ll get to Phoenix to pay respects. Like many others here, Waylon was my favourite of all time, and still is. His unique brand of music was progressive for its time, but still respectful of its country roots. His music seems timeless to me, and I listen to it often. His style was inimitable, and he was truly one of a kind. His work is missed in today’s market, and it’s sad he wasn’t able to continue touring and making music into his 70’s and 80’s, like Merle Haggard and Ray Price.

The closest I ever got to seeing Waylon was seeing his tour bus parked in Kelowna, BC, Canada as I drove by. No fanfare around the bus or anything like that. I regret to this day not stopping and knocking on the door to see if the man himself was onboard. I would have loved to have told him what his music meant to me from an early age, on. I like to think he would have said, “Thanks”, and shook my hand. I think ‘ol Waylon was a good guy who still has not gotten the accolades he deserved.

Thank you so much for this article- like many, I have always felt a personal connection to Waylon’s music that has only grown stronger over time. As I approach 30, I find myself increasingly regretful that I was “born too late” to ever experience him performing in person with my own eyes and ears. I didn’t fully appreciate his work until after his death, when I was old enough to really get it (and to establish my own opinions and taste in music). I’m also grateful, however, that the older I get the more I appreciate Waylon’s artistry, literary genius, and personality. Even to this day, when I listen to his discography I continue to find hidden gems within the lyrics of his songs and new guitar licks I had never noticed before. I will eternally be grateful that Waylon Jennings was on this Earth and there will absolutely never be anyone like him ever again. He was one of the last of a nearly extinct breed, and I will always consider Waylon and his music to be a very pivotal influence in my life. Hopefully some day I will make my way to Mesa, Arizona and have the chance to tell him that myself.

The main thing about Waylon Jennings is his music; but there are other facets to his life, good and bad, that fascinate people including me. Not until several years after his death did I delve into his recorded work other than the better known cuts. Jennings recorded so many songs that I don’t know how anyone could count them all! He covered all kinds of music, some more successfully than others, but he tried out many of them I guess for no reason other than he loved singing and making music and wanted to push his own boundaries. So for all us Waylon Jennings fans, we can listen for years and years to his backlog–YES! He also wrote, arranged, played his own guitar, etc.–Waylon Jennings was no one-trick pony. Music aside, the man had charisma to spare and the older he got the better he looked, especially after stopping the bad habits. From a woman’s perspective, he was just plain hot. And stubbornness can be blessing or a curse; for Jennings I think it was both. Personally, I admire him for sticking it out, being his own person, for being himself and not trying to hide it: the good, the bad and the ugly. Jennings owned it and everyone else could take a long walk off a short pier. And there was that brief period with Buddy Holly–what’s the odds of a relationship like that springing up in Texas where you could see miles in any direction without seeing anything! His insights on a up-and-comer like Buddy Holly, after the fact and, of course, after the tragedy, are priceless. A very unique piece of history that Waylon Jennings saw firsthand and shared his memories. I am somewhat disappointed that his family has not been more prominent in supporting diabetes research, and possibly using the Waylon Jennings name and art to bring notice to such a terrifying disease since that is ultimately what killed him (as far as I know, of course, I’ve not seen a death certificate). It is my sincere hope they are doing what they can low-key and privately, doing so perhaps at Jennings’ request, to help fight diabetes. And Willie Nelson. I can’t help but think there was some type of falling out or misunderstanding between them–why else would Nelson be so mum, make no appearance at the farewell concert, really make little mention at all of Jennings’ passing? But the thing I think would make Waylon Jennings happiest is knowing his music is far from forgotten and that he made as big a mark as anyone out there on the industry and the minds and hearts of his fans. For myself, I sure miss ol’ Waylon.

Waylon looked a bit like an older and taller MCU!Tony Stark when he played John Murdocca in 18 Wheels of Hell with the mustache and stuff. He looked sexy playing a bad guy. Well he looked sexy with a beard regardless but still. All the fangirls can have Loki or any other fictional bad boy they like, I’ll take John Murdocca lol